Taxpayers spent $243,000 on disgraced ex-Navy Secretary's trip where he insulted relieved captain: report

On Wednesday, The Washington Postreported that prior to resigning, disgraced Navy Secretary Thomas Modly's trip to Guam for the speech that upended his career cost the taxpayer $243,000.

"For taxpayers, the cost of the flight alone was at least $243,151.65, according to a Navy estimate," reported Dan Lamothe. "The figure was based on 35 hours of flight time to and from Guam, with refueling in Hawaii. Modly traveled on a C-37B at a cost of about $6,946.19 per hour, according to the estimate, which was obtained by The Washington Post. The jet is a military version of the Gulfstream G550."

Modly faced national outrage after leaked footage showed him calling Capt. Brett Crozier, an officer he had just relieved of command "stupid" in a speech to the very crew Crozier had commanded. Sailors could be heard shouting at him in anger.

Modly initially said he stood by the speech, but hours later apologized, and shortly after submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump.

Crozier's offense had been writing a letter warning about the dire infection rate of COVID-19 aboard his vessel, which leaked to the public. Trump himself has criticized the decision to write the letter, but was more circumspect about whether he agreed with the decision to relieve him of command, saying his career shouldn't be ruined over a "bad day."

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